


Baby It's Cold Outside

by ashottoremember



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance, Pencey Prep
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Cute, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, New Year's Kiss, Pencey Prep - Freeform, Pre-MCR, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:55:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28395723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashottoremember/pseuds/ashottoremember
Summary: “Honestly, though, I’m pretty sure all the eligible Jersey girls have already necked with Mikey,” Ray said, getting a laugh out of Gerard.Mikey suddenly refocused on their conversation hearing his name. “I’m not that bad!” He retorted.“Definitely not bad,” Ray stole Gerard’s cigarette again to take the last inhale before butting it out.“Somewhat impressive to be honest,” Gerard smiled down at his little brother.
Relationships: Frank Iero/Mikey Way
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20
Collections: Have Yourself A Merry Little Fic Exchange





	Baby It's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

  * For [throwupsparkles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/throwupsparkles/gifts).



“Hey, Mikey, are you joining us at Dexy’s tonight?” Mikey’s older brother’s friend, Ray, asked dropping down next to him on the couch. 

Mikey was flipping through one of his old Fantastic Four comics with a glazed look in his eyes. The story wasn’t holding him in the slightest, and these holidays were already dragging on more than he liked. 

“Who’s playing?” Mikey responded, closing the comic and dropping it on the floor. He shifted to look at Ray more squarely, realising his brother wasn’t in the room with them. 

“The Undead, Electric Frankenstein, Bouncing Souls,” Ray listed the bands, ticking them off on his fingers, “oh, and I think Gee mentioned that Prep band you like might be there.”

Mikey perked up at that. “Pencey Prep?” 

“Yeah! Them!” Ray nodded, pushing up off the couch and heading into the bathroom to whizz. 

Mikey was suddenly excited. He was an avid fan of the punk scene in Jersey and had been excited to discover a new band out of Belleville. They were raw but they had an energy about them that elated Mikey to new heights. 

“Gerard?” Mikey yelled down the hall, getting up to find where his brother was hiding. “Gerard! Where are you?” he poked his head in the kitchen and found it empty; waited a moment at the stairs listening for signs of life from the basement. He then ventured to the front porch where he found his brother smoking and drawing, blissfully unaware of the life around him. Typical of Gerard to have his friend come over and then completely ignore him in a creative trance. 

“Hey,” Mikey waved his hand in front of his brother’s face, stealing the cigarette out of his hand. 

Gerard looked up at him, his eyes refocusing slowly on reality. “Hey, Mikey,” Gerard smiled at him. 

“Ray’s wandering around the house like a lost puppy,” Mikey inhaled on the cigarette and shivered. It was winter in Jersey, why the fuck was Gerard just sitting outside leisurely. “How are you not freezing out here?” 

Gerard considered this for a moment. “I hadn’t really noticed. It is kinda cold, hey?” 

Mikey took another drag, nodding at his brother like it was the most obvious thing. He handed Gerard the cigarette back for a final pull before stubbing it out. “Stop ignoring your friend.” Mikey opened the door and put himself mostly inside, only his head still poking out. “And please tell me more about this gig you didn’t invite me to,” Mikey smirked before pulling his head back into the warmth inside. The door thudded behind him as Mikey walked down the hallway to the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee. He heard the door thud again as Gerard returned inside. A minute later both Gerard and Ray joined him in the kitchen, eager for some hot coffee. 

“I take it you want to come out with us tonight?” Gerard leant against the fridge, watching the coffee slowly pour into the pot. 

“Sounds like a sick lineup,” Mikey shrugged, not wanting to let on how hyped he was to see Pencey again.

“We are simply blessed with the raddest punk scene on the east coast,” Ray grinned at the Way brothers as he crossed the room to find some mugs for them. 

“Yeah I’m sure this has nothing to do with that new band with the hot groupie,” Gerard rolled his eyes jokingly at Mikey. 

Mikey couldn’t help but blush deeply at the mention. It was true, the band was always accompanied by a cute girl, front and centre at every show. But that wasn’t why he wanted to see them. 

“C’mon, Gee, what else am I meant to do on a cold winter night?” Mikey sounded more whiny than he liked, but he had already decided he was going to the gig, with his brother or not. 

“Doors are at 6,” Gerard shrugged, pulling the pot from the machine and pouring them all a cup of coffee. 

* * *

Mikey leant against the wall of the dim club, sipping on a Coke. Ray and Gerard were at the bar enjoying a beer. They had convinced security to let Mikey into the venue provided he not drink, and considering how empty the place was, he wasn’t going to get away with anything. 

As Gerard had predicted, Pencey’s groupie was present, fluffing about side of stage as the band prepped for their set. Her dark hair was pulled back from her face with little butterfly clips, and her lips were painted a deep red as she grinned at the lead singer. She certainly fit the scene with her pierced eyebrow and ripped clothing. 

“Could you gawk anymore?” Gerard teased, coming to lean on the wall next to Mikey. 

“I’m not-” Mikey started to protest, before realising it’s futility. “Where’s Toro?” Mikey asked instead, realising Gerard was alone.

“Went to piss,” 

Mikey nodded and returned his gaze to see that the groupie girl had her arms around the frontman now, and her tongue halfway down his throat. To his surprise, Mikey found himself getting hot in the face and felt an intense pang of jealousy. 

“Sorry, bro, looks like your girl’s taken,” Gerard patted Mikey on the shoulder, before returning to the bar for another drink. 

Mikey huffed, and continued to people-watch while he waited for the set to start. Maybe he shouldn’t have tagged along tonight. He was already feeling out of place and uncomfortable. He shrugged his shoulders and got another soda from the bar. Usually this was his scene, he loved live music and chatting up the bands, but something was just feeling out of place tonight. 

Twenty minutes later Pencey Prep were taking to the stage to play their opening set. The bar was still mostly empty, maybe ten people present who weren’t staff, but that didn’t matter. They tore up the stage, performing as if they were headlining a stadium show. Mikey stood, eyes huge, watching intently as the band filled the entire bar with their presence. His envy from earlier melted away, as the music took him to a better place. 

The singer was off key and all over the place, but he was committed to the performance, injecting his life and soul into the music. He thrashed on his guitar without missing a beat, hyping up the rest of the band as well. Mikey stared in awe at his presence, amazed that such a small person could command a stage like that. 

Too soon the set was ending, and the band was exiting the stage. Gerard and Ray were hunched together at a table in the corner conspiratorially. Mikey decided he didn’t want to get involved in whatever they were plotting, and instead was going to introduce himself to the band. For as long as Mikey could remember he had wanted to be in a band, but for now he settled for befriending as many as he could. 

“Hey,” Mikey politely extended a hand to one of the band members who had just finished stowing his bass. “I’m Mikey.” 

“Hambone,” the bassist replied, shaking Mikey’s hand. 

“I’ve seen you guys around a bit. Love the energy,” Mikey smiled at them, catching the lead singer’s eye. 

“Thanks man,” the vocalist said, also shaking Mikey’s hand. “The name’s Frank. I think I’ve seen you around,” 

“Yeah, I’m pretty big into the scene. Would love to be in a band myself some day,”

“Dude, that’s rad!” Frank was cut off as a hurricane of dark hair and clothes wrapped him up in a hug. 

“Frankie!!!” the girl squealed. “You were so amazeballs!” She sloppily kissed him, and again Mikey felt that pang of jealousy. 

“Thanks, Genie,” Frank smiled at the girl with puppy dog eyes, absent-mindedly fiddling with a key he had tied around his neck. 

Mikey thought he looked positively love-sick, and his stomach clenched again. He shook his shoulders, trying to get rid of the feeling. He wasn’t sure what was going on with him tonight. 

“Who’s your friend, Frankie?” Genie asked, looking up at Mikey. 

Mikey swallowed hard against the lump in his throat and extended his hand, “Mikey Way,” 

Genie eyed Mikey but didn’t shake his hand, hers too busy knotting themselves in Frank’s hair. 

“Hey, I gotta motor,” Hambone siad, “otherwise my mom’s gonna be hella pissed, Frank,”

Frank nodded. “Do you need help with the gear?” 

“Nah, it’s all good, the rest of the guys are catching a ride in the van too.” Hambone looked at Mikey and Genie, then back to Frank. “You staying out?” 

“Yeah, you go. Watch out for black ice,” Frank chortled, but Mikey wasn’t sure what the joke was. 

The guys loaded up their gear and headed out, leaving Mikey with Frank and his girlfriend. Genie looked up at Mikey awkwardly after a minute of silence. 

“I, um, I better get back to my brother. Don’t want to intrude on your guys’ night,” Mikey took a step back, realising he was no longer welcome. 

“Hey, man, nah, you wanna get a drink?” Frank offered, grinning up at Mikey. 

Genie huffed and crossed her arms, but Frank paid her no attention. Mikey was surprised that he would cast her aside like that. Maybe he wasn’t as smitten with her as she was with him. 

“They won’t serve me, I’m underage.” Mikey explained sheepishly. 

“So am I, but still they pay me in beer,” Frank smiled wide at Mikey, fiddling with his key again.

“Frankie,” Genie whined. “Do we have to stay here?” 

“Oh, you can go somewhere else if you want, babe. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Frank kissed her gently on the cheek, and started walking towards the bar with Mikey. 

Mikey cast a look over his shoulder at Genie who was staring, her mouth agape, at Frank’s retreating back. He gave her a sympathetic smile, and she stormed off. Mikey’s heart clenched, worried that she would hold this against him. Even so, he had to admit Frank’s reaction was amusing. Either he just wasn’t that interested in Genie, or he really couldn’t pick up on subtext. 

As promised, Frank ordered them some beers, and they sat talking as if they were old friends, even though they had only just met. Frank told Mikey all about how music is in his veins, passed down through generations in his family. His eyes lit up just talking about his grandfather’s band, and the excitement was contagious. Mikey regaled Frank with tales of how he used to run an underground bootleg business to fund his and his brother’s music addiction. Frank point blank refused to believe that a private investigator had come looking for Mikey about four years ago. Filled with the courage and a few beers, Mikey dragged Frank over to where Gerard and Ray were waiting between sets. 

“Gee, tell him about the investigator,” Mikey said to Gerard, interrupting whatever they were talking about. Mikey realised now that he was standing he was a bit more tipsy than he had thought.

“Huh?” Gerard looked up at his little brother.

“The investigator! Because I was buying you Pumpkin tickets,” Mikey gestured broadly. 

“You mean the time you illegally downloaded Disney movies and were selling them to fund us following the Smashing Pumpkins on tour?” Gerard smiled up at his brother, enjoying how his cheeks were flushed from the alcohol. 

Mikey pointed at Gerard nodding, “That’s it! That’s the one! Frank wouldn’t believe me!!” 

“Hi, I’m Frank,” Frank extended a hand to Gerard and Ray, also chuckling quietly at Mikey’s excitement. 

“Hi Frank.” Ray said, politely shaking Frank’s hand after Gerard. “What happened to the girl you were checking out earlier, Mikey?” 

“I was not,” Mikey blushed even deeper, and the air turned more awkward. 

“Oh she left,” Frank pulled on his key for a second and seemed to realise what he had done earlier. “It’s been rad talking, Mikey, but I should probably actually check up on Genie. I don’t think she was super impressed before,” 

Mikey shook his head smiling, but he could feel his chest aching, though he wasn’t sure why. Perhaps the beer? “Yeah, man, let me give you my digits. We should get coffee some time.” 

“Rad,” Frank grinned up at Mikey as he messily scribbled his phone number on a napkin before handing it to Frank. “Nice meeting you guys,” he waved at Ray and Gerard. 

Mikey slumped into the booth next to Gerard after he had left. 

“You guys hit it off,” Ray smirked over his beer at Mikey. 

“How many beers did he buy you?” Gerard side-eyed Mikey, poker-faced. 

“None,” Mikey said simply. 

“You are clearly drunk, Mikey,” Gerard rolled his eyes. 

“He didn’t buy any. He gets free drinks,” Mikey clarified.

The trio watched the rest of the bands from the booth, bobbing along to the music. They smoked cigarettes, drank beer and enjoyed the warmth of the small bar. The security clearly had given up on Mikey not drinking, and turned a blind eye when Ray bought both the Way brothers another beer. 

A week later Mikey’s mom was yelling at him from the kitchen that someone was on the phone for him. Mikey took the stairs up from Gerard’s basement two at a time, abandoning the comic he had been reading. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey, Mikey?” … “it’s Frank. From Dexy’s?”

“Hey, man,” 

“I was wondering if you wanted to exchange more stories over coffee?” 

“Absolutely,” Mikey took down the details of where Frank wanted to meet and ended the call. 

“Who was that?” Gerard asked Mikey when he returned to the basement. 

“Frank, he wants to get coffee,” Mikey could feel his heart start pounding in anticipation. He wondered if Frank’s girlfriend would be there too. 

“I don’t know how you do it,” Gerard shook his head. “If we ever start a band, all we would need is you to talk to some people and we’d have everyone head-over-heels for us.” 

Mikey scoffed, throwing a wayward piece of clothing from the floor at Gerard. “People just like me,” 

“People are very wise,” Gerard stared at his brother from where he was laying on his stomach on the bed. “What are you looking for?” 

“My Anthrax shirt,” Mikey inspected some more of the clothes on the floor, flipping them over with his toe. 

“Mikey, how many times do I have to tell you that shirt isn’t lucky,” 

“Yes it is!” 

“Why do you need luck anyway? Is Frank bringing his groupie?” 

Mikey froze for a minute, considering his response. “I don’t know,” he shrugged, and continued sifting through the discarded clothes. “And stop calling her that. Her name is Genie,” 

“Oh I’m sorry.” Gerard said, sarcasm dripping from his words. “Bro, you can’t seriously still be pining for her, she’s clearly infatuated with Frank.” 

Mikey swallowed hard, hiding his face from his brother. Maybe he had more in common with Genie than Gerard realised. “I just want my shirt, okay? It makes me feel better,” 

Gerard groaned but slipped off the bed anyway to help Mikey look for his shirt. “You sure you didn’t leave it in your room?” He asked. 

“No, I definitely got changed down here last time I was wearing it because you and Ray attacked me with water pistols.” 

Gerard chuckled. “Oh yeah, that was funny,” 

Mikey huffed, spotting a corner of yellow underneath a pair of Gerard’s discarded boxers. He pushed the boxers off with his foot and then seized his shirt, giving it the classic sniff test. It smelt of mildew and cigarettes, but nothing overtly offensive. He exchanged his current shirt with it. “Found it,” he said with a sigh of relief. 

Gerard sized him up, hands on his hips. “Good luck with your date then,” he grinned wolfishly. 

“It’s not a date, you dick,” Mikey huffed, heading back towards the stairs.

“Well I hope for your sake she’s there, otherwise you just freaked out over a shirt for nothing,” 

Mikey stalked past him up the stairs, flipping him the bird as he went in frustration. Gerard was just teasing, but Mikey was starting to realise that his brother’s teasing was misplaced. Yes, he was anxious about meeting Frank for coffee, but not for the reasons that Gerard had immediately assumed. It made him even more nervous realising that perhaps Gerard wouldn’t approve of what he was doing, that this would be a step too far for their relationship.

Mikey smoothed his hands along his damp feeling shirt at the top of the stairs, breathing deeply. _Stop panicking, you’re just meeting up as friends._ He told himself. He was probably just reading into his feelings too much. They had hit it off in the bar, they were friends; he wasn’t going to make this weird. 

Grabbing his mid-length trench coat from the entry and slipping on his boots and scarf, Mikey ventured out into the frigid Jersey December. He walked a little ways down the sidewalk to the bus stop. Usually he would drive, but in the cold like this he was too nervous on the road, and felt safer catching the bus. 

An hour later he was pacing out the front of the local coffee shop, ruminating on what Gerard had said. He shouldn’t have made such a big deal about finding his lucky shirt. Didn’t matter how lucky it was, Frank was happily dating Genie. He shrugged his shoulders in frustration again, banishing the thoughts from his mind. He was here to hang out and talk music with a friend. That was all. 

“Hey, Mikey!” Frank’s voice surprised him. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long,” 

Mikey looked up from his toes and smiled at Frank’s soft features. “Not long, but let’s get out of the cold.” 

They bustled inside the small coffee shop, shrugging out of their coats in the entrance. 

“Coffee?” Frank asked Mikey, as he hung his coat on one of the hooks. 

“Actually, hot chocolate sounds good right now,” Mikey hung his coat next to Frank’s. 

“Coming right up. Go find somewhere to sit, it’s on me,” Frank was already walking over to the counter before Mikey could protest. He found a couple free stools at the table along the window, and took a seat. The snow outside was really coming down now, and he appreciated the warmth of the coffee shop around him. 

Mikey fiddled with his hair while he waited for Frank to join him, trying to keep his thoughts from spiralling. It only took a few minutes for Frank to return with their drinks and take up the seat next to him. 

“Thank-you for getting this, you didn’t have to,” Mikey smiled at him, carefully sipping the hot chocolate. It was wonderfully smooth and the warmth was welcome. 

“It’s fine, dude. How have you been?” 

The pair made small talk for a while, smiling at each other between sips of hot chocolate. Again it was as if they had been friends for years, able to talk to each other with such ease. Mikey particularly enjoyed when Frank started talking about his family’s love of music and his band, the way his eyes would catch alight with passion. 

“I’ve always wanted to be in a band,” Mikey admitted suddenly, surprising even himself. It had always been a pipe dream of his, but he couldn’t even play an instrument. 

“You should just do it, dude,” Frank got that look in his eyes again, the one that made Mikey’s heart skip a beat. 

“I can’t even play an instrument,” Mikey laughed. 

“Doesn’t matter, heaps of musicians couldn’t play an instrument before they started their bands! You should just do it.” 

“I shouldn’t have brought it up. You make me way too honest,” Mikey blushed at that. He was just spilling his guts to this guy for some reason. 

“How about this? We have a rehearsal space that’s pretty rad and you should come check it out some time. Maybe Hambone can show you a few tricks,” 

Frank had just finished writing down the address for their rehearsal space when a mass of hairspray and safety pins pounced on him from behind. Mikey jumped in surprise, having not noticed her come in. 

“Frankie!” Genie squealed, squeezing both her arms around his neck from behind. “I was hoping I’d find you here.” She smacked a sloppy kiss on his cheek, glaring at Mikey while she did it. 

Mikey immediately got the sense that he was no longer welcome. 

“Genie,” Frank shrugged out of her bear hug. “What are you doing here?” To Mikey’s surprise Frank seemed about as excited to see her as Mikey felt.

“I missed you, babe.” Genie slunk around to be in between Frank and Mikey, slipping in between Frank’s thighs in an incredibly intimate display of public affection. 

Mikey averted his eyes, feeling like he was intruding on something private. Shakily he sipped the last of his hot chocolate and stood up, the stool screeching. Frank seemed to flinch, but couldn’t react because Genie already had her tongue down his throat. 

“I um, thanks for the drink. I’ll let you....bye,” Mikey stammered, not waiting for Frank to respond. He was already out the door before Frank was even able to reclaim his mouth from Genie’s tongue. 

* * *

Frank called Mikey a few times over the next few weeks, apologising profusely for Genie’s behaviour. Often, however, the calls were cut short due to Frank having to attend to his girlfriend or bandmates. Mikey told himself that this was totally fine with him, that he was only being selfish to be frustrated when Genie stole Frank’s attention. Gerard continued to tease Mikey that Genie was never going to be into him, which didn’t help Mikey’s conflicting feelings at all. 

By the time Christmas Eve rolled around, Mikey was a ball of tension. He was sitting in his brother’s basement, Gerard and Ray lying on the bed getting buzzed off eggnog and smoking cigarettes. 

The conversation had lulled and the three of them were just staring at the ceiling, contemplating life, when Mikey suddenly broke the silence. “We should start a band,” 

Ray propped himself up on his elbows so he could see Mikey on the floor. “What?” 

Mikey flinched, realising what he had just said. Swallowing back a wave of anxiety, he plowed on ahead. “We should start a band. I think it would be cool.” 

“You don’t even know how to play an instrument,” Gerard scoffed, slightly tipsy from the eggnog. 

“Frank said he could teach me,” Mikey said quietly, already feeling the disappointment that this would never actually happen. 

“Gerard stop being such a prick,” Ray kicked him playfully, repositioning himself so he was sitting. “I think it’s a cool idea. I mean it’d be nice to play with friends instead of in my room alone all the time.” 

Gerard rolled onto his back and lit another cigarette, tucking one arm underneath his head. “Yeah maybe if we survive into the new millennium,” Gerard sucked on his cigarette, half joking about the Y2K threat. 

Mikey was feeling kind of dazed, his mind chugging through his moment of panic. “You really think the world is going to end on New Years?” he asked his brother, but still thinking about Frank teaching him how to play guitar - their hands meeting on the fretboard. 

“Probably not, but if it does, you know, I want to at least have a New Year’s Eve kiss for once,” Gerard chuckled at himself this time. 

“Your priorities, dude,” Ray laughed, stealing Gerard’s cigarette for a puff. 

“Aww c’mon, if the world implodes at the strike of midnight January 1st 2000, wouldn’t you want to at least be kissing _someone_?” Gerard snatched his cigarette back from Ray. 

“How about this, Gee, if you manage to strike out with every eligible person before New Years Eve, and you are standing there as we all countdown, sweating that the world is about to end and you are to die an un-kissed virgin-” 

“Hey! I’m not a virgin!” 

“I, Raymond Toro, promise to provide you with a midnight kiss to welcome in the new millennium and possibly the end of the world.” 

Gerard jokingly picked up both of Ray’s hands in his and looked him in the eyes, cigarette hanging from one side of his mouth. “I truly appreciate it, Ray,” He said, before dramatically swooning backwards. 

“Honestly, though, I’m pretty sure all the eligible Jersey girls have already necked with Mikey,” Ray said, getting a laugh out of Gerard.

Mikey suddenly refocused on their conversation hearing his name. “I’m not that bad!” He retorted. 

“Definitely not bad,” Ray stole Gerard’s cigarette again to take the last inhale before butting it out. 

“Somewhat impressive to be honest,” Gerard smiled down at his little brother. 

“Shocking really that the one girl in Jersey that you’re obsessing over isn’t interested in you,” Ray teased. 

They were just joking around but Mikey started to prickle at the comment. How dense were they to not see that he wasn’t interested in Genie? He had never even given her a second look, and yet it was all they could see. 

“I don’t care about Frank’s girlfriend,” Mikey said, his words clipped. It was half-true: he didn’t care about dating her, he cared that Frank seemed to be enjoying the relationship though. 

“Who are you going to kiss when the world ends at midnight, Mikey?” Gerard asked, flopping back down to stare at the ceiling. 

“None of your business,” Mikey was starting to get frustrated with them. 

“No need to be so touchy, Mikes” Ray said. 

“No need to be so assuming,” he huffed in return, getting to his feet. Their misunderstanding of the situation was making him feel guilty, like he couldn’t be himself around them at the moment. He needed to get out of the basement, clear his head. 

“Hey, we’re just joking around,” Gerard sat up again, concern etched on his face. 

“You’ve been making the same joke for weeks,” Mikey grumbled, ascending the stairs. Once he reached the top he wasn’t satisfied. He needed space; needed to get out of the small house. 

He grabbed his coat and boots and ventured out into the Jersey winter. The cold bit at his face, snowflakes catching behind his glasses and sticking to his eyelashes. He crossed his arms and trod along in the snow, no destination in particular in mind. He just needed to move, get away from his brother and Ray, stop the thoughts from circulating in his mind before he had a full blown panic attack. He knew they weren’t doing anything intentionally to make him uncomfortable, but he already was beating himself up about crushing on someone who was taken. He wasn’t a homewrecker. 

“Fuck Gerard and his code of silence,” Mikey muttered to himself. His thoughts started circulating with jealousy of how naturally Gerard managed to be his authentic self. He never seemed to worry about how others perceived him, he was just himself. If only Mikey could find a way to do the same. Instead he had found himself over the past few weeks feeling conflicted over everything he did, worrying how others saw him. 

Mikey’s pity party crescendoed with him kicking frustratedly at a nearby mound of snow. Unfortunately he lost his balance on the icy footpath and went tumbling down into the snow. He just lay there for a minute, staring up at the clouds, wondering what the fuck he was doing. 

“Are you okay?” He heard someone say, making him jump and actually sit up. 

A hand wearing a fingerless glove extended to him and he took it mindlessly without realising who it was. 

“Mikey?” 

Mikey looked up to find that Frank was standing in front of him, similarly rugged up, but far less covered in snow. “Frank? What are you doing out in the cold?” 

“I could ask you the same thing,” Frank looked at him for a moment, could clearly tell something was off. “Why don’t you come inside?” 

Mikey looked at him confused. “What do you mean?” 

“This is my house,” Frank pointed up the driveway to the house he had just fallen over in front of. “Were you coming to see me?” 

“I was just walking,” Mikey murmured. Perhaps some part of his brain had led him here for a reason. 

“I just got home. Glad you’re here actually. Come on, it’s freezing out,” Frank grabbed Mikey’s sleeve and pulled him along behind him as he bounded up the front steps and unlocked the door. 

Mikey felt numb as he slipped out of his coat and brushed the snow from his hair. Frank’s house was cluttered and small, but it felt homely and was a welcome change to his own small house. 

“Coffee?” Frank asked, slipping off his boots. 

“You read my mind,” Mikey said happily, padding after Frank into the poky kitchen. His nerves from outside were starting to melt away in the warmth of Frank’s home. 

Frank started the pot brewing and grabbed two cups out of the cupboard. 

“What were you doing outside?” Mikey asked him conversationally. 

“I, um, was coming back from Genie’s,” Frank didn’t turn to face him, fiddling with the mugs. 

Mikey’s heart dropped. “Oh okay,” 

Frank sniffed and Mikey looked up, realising he was trying to hide his face. 

“Are you okay, Frank?” Mikey took a step closer, hesitantly putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Yeah,” he turned around with an obviously fake smile plastered on his face. “Do you take sugar? Cream?” 

“Just sugar please,” Mikey inspected his face. “What happened?” 

Frank grabbed the sugar from the pantry, but was unable to stop another sniff escaping. “Fuck!” He slammed a fist into the pantry door jamb in frustration at himself. 

“Is this a bad time? I can leave,” Mikey offered. 

“No, please don’t go.” Frank turned around and leant against the doorframe, letting his head loll back. “I’m actually glad you’re here, I just hate being vulnerable.” Frank sighed deeply again before pushing off the door and finishing making the coffees.

He handed a mug to Mikey and indicated for him to follow. They padded down the hallway to what appeared to be Frank’s bedroom, covered in band posters and dirty laundry. Mikey didn’t say anything, just waited for Frank to elaborate on his emotional outburst. 

Frank positioned himself on his bed, leaning up against the cushions. He left enough room for Mikey to recline next to him, but Mikey wasn’t sure he trusted himself. 

After a few minutes of Mikey awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, Frank broke the silence. “We broke up,” Frank said softly into his coffee. 

Mikey’s heart seized seeing the pain Frank was in. “But….you guys have been all over each other,” Mikey’s head was trying to connect the dots that ended in Frank and Genie breaking up. 

“She’s been all over me,” Frank pulled at the loose threads around one of the tears in his distressed jeans. “But I didn’t feel the same.” Frank took a long sip of his coffee, still not looking up at Mikey. 

“Oh,” Was all Mikey said, deciding to instead take a seat awkwardly on the edge of Frank’s bed. 

“Yeah,” Frank took another long sip. “She started to get really fucking nasty though. Telling me that Pencey was a piece of shit band going nowhere and stuff.” Frank sniffed again.

Mikey slid closer, putting a hand on his ankle to awkwardly try and comfort him. “I’m sorry,” 

“It’s okay,” Frank tried to laugh, but it came out as a kind of choking noise. “It’s honestly for the best.” He groaned, and joined Mikey sitting on the edge of the bed. “Why were you outside my house lying in the snow?” 

“Oh, that,” Now it was Mikey’s turn to feel uncomfortably vulnerable. He used Frank’s tactic of taking a long sip of his coffee. “I just couldn’t be at home anymore. I didn’t realise you lived here,” 

“Lucky me,” Frank smirked, brushing his shoulder against Mikey’s. 

They sat quietly for a few minutes, neither quite sure what to say. 

“I’ve been thinking a lot about starting a band with Gerard and Ray.” Mikey said breaking the silence. “Gerard thought it was a joke because I can’t play an instrument, but Ray was nice about it.” 

“I told you I can teach you,” Frank smiled up at Mikey. 

“I’d like that,” Mikey smiled back at him. Electricity buzzed through him suddenly as he realised Frank was sitting really close to him. Close enough that Frank’s finger brushed his, making him jump slightly and look up into Frank’s eyes. 

Mikey swore for a second there Frank was looking at him caringly, like he might actually reciprocate his feelings. He froze for a minute, considering whether or not this could be true, his mind spinning out with the thought of feeling Frank’s lips against his. Mikey inhaled without thinking, felt lightheaded on Frank’s smell of musty clothes and smoke, before shaking himself out of it. He could feel his face flushing, hoping that Frank hadn’t noticed his momentary lapse into his subconscious. 

Frank started to lean in towards him, and Mikey panicked, realising he was still stuck in his daydream. Frank slowly leant in, hesitating, clearly nervous, and placed a gentle kiss on Mikey’s cheek. Mikey felt the press of his dry lips against his cheek, he was definitely not dreaming.

“I didn’t think you felt the same way,” Mikey breathed, his eyes huge and his heart pounding in his chest. 

Frank pulled back slightly, abashed. “I didn’t either until Genie called me out.” He swallowed hard, knotting his hands in the sheets, too shy to look up into Mikey’s face again. “I’ve spent every minute since I met you talking about you or thinking about you. I guess I kinda have a crush,” 

Mikey blushed deeply, not confident enough to kiss Frank back, but clutched his hand between them to let him know it’s okay. “I have a crush too,” he said quietly.

After some mildly awkward discussion on what this means (ultimately deciding they would like to try dating), Frank mentioned that his mum was working a late shift and he'd be alone tonight. Without hesitation Mikey invited him to join them for supper and eggnog at the Way residence. The pair bundled up and began the trek back to Mikey’s home, swaying against each other as they walked. It was as if there was an electromagnetic force between them that kept pulling them towards each other. They giggled every time they touched, both feeling a rush of excitement. 

After only a few minutes of walking in the cold, they’re shuffling into the entry of Mikey’s home. They stomped their feet to loosen the snow and started to pull their unneeded layers off. Frank reached past Mikey to hang his coat on the hook and Mikey froze at his proximity, staring down at him. 

“Mikey, is that you?” Gerard appeared at the end of the hallway suddenly. 

Frank and Mikey split apart quickly without thinking. Mikey’s breath was ragged as he looked down the hallway at his older brother, his earlier panic that he would not be accepted returning. 

“Why did you run off like-” Gerard cut himself off when he realised that Mikey was not alone in the entry. “Mikey?” Gerard stood patiently, waiting for Mikey to give some sort of explanation for what was going on. 

Mikey swallowed hard and slipped his hand into Frank’s. Frank instinctually stepped closer into Mikey’s side. Gerard and Mikey stared at each other, waiting for some sort of reaction. In his chest, Mikey could feel his heart doing backflips in anticipation. 

Gerard was quiet for a minute, replaying in his mind all the times he had seen Frank and Mikey together. At the time he had been blinded and had assumed it was Genie that Mikey had been observing, but he had been wrong. “I totally missed that,” Gerard said after a minute, chuckling at himself slightly. “Come on you two, we just made some fresh nog,” 

He turned on his heel, beckoning for them to follow him. 

Mikey went to follow his brother but felt a tug at his sleeve, stopping him. He looked back to see Frank looking rather nervous.

“Is this okay?” Frank said quietly, suddenly unsure of what they were doing. 

“It’s more than okay, Frank,” Mikey reassured him. With that, Mikey gently caressed the side of his face, suddenly emboldened from their interaction with Gerard. He leant down, and placed a gentle kiss square on Frank’s lips. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy this little fluffy tale loosely inspired by that one scene in Love Actually where everyone thinks he has a crush on the husband but he's in love with the wife.  
> I hope it's okay, I tried my best to keep it succinct.


End file.
